James Hoban

Hoban, James (hōˈbən) [key], c.1762–1831, American architect, b. Ireland. By 1789, Hoban had immigrated to the United States. He designed the South Carolina statehouse, which was burned in 1865. In 1792 he moved to Washington, D.C., and won the competition for the design of a mansion for the President (later called the White House), which he built from 1792 to 1799 and rebuilt after it was burned by the British in 1814. He was one of the supervising architects who served at the Capitol in the execution of Dr. William Thornton's design, and he worked on public buildings for more than 25 years.